Transformers Prime: An Autobot Halloween (Jack and Arcee Romance)
by Galaxy fiction
Summary: Halloween has arrived, and with the Earth still rehabilitating from Megatron's rule, a happier venue was much needed. Arcee and Jack can enjoy themselves in this peace, finally getting some time to date and have fun, even with the other Autobots, including a game of Poker between Team Prime's members. Though a horror of hungry, metal eating Cybertronian terrors upsets the party...
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Two months had elapsed since the Decepticon coup of Earth. Jasper was still being rebuilt, but the massive effort to house those who had lost meant it was a speedy recovery, with half of Jasper already completed, a tall forest of cranes and thousands of workers and volunteers building New Jasper.

Until Jasper was completed however, June and Jack were staying at Omega Two, the massive Silo base built inside a huge mountain stood tall in the Nevada desert, an exact copy of Omega One from years prior, before it's destruction.

Miko and her host parents had moved back to New Jasper, even though half of it was still under construction. Raf and his family did the same, moving to the new housing estate in the completed side of New Jasper.

Jack was still adjusting to his new prosthetic leg, and after two long, hard months of rehabilitating and learning to walk and run again, Jack was getting back to his old self. Though he was never in it alone, thanks to his mothers medical expertise and care, Ratchets technology and upgrades and of course his beloved partner Arcee, helping him all the way the best she could.

Arcee and Jack were finally Sparkmates and bonded both physically and mentally. She was finally on the path to peace and happiness, straying from the thin line of good and evil. Jack loved her with all his heart, and planned to spend all his short life with her, because they were meant to be together. They were created and born so many light-years apart, and found each other despite their differences.

What are they all doing now? Well, the Autobots are settling back into their Command center, starting to get to used to being in an exact replica of Omega one. Though they had two newcomers staying where Jazz and Ironhide used to, Smokescreen and Grimlock were here to stay.

With no Decepticon threats in months, and October reaching the end of its short life, the small Autobot family was starting to grow...bored.

...

Isaac Clarke roared as he slammed his boot down on a Necromorphs skull, blood erupting upwards and flesh breaking from bone. As the image buzzed and illuminated from the TV screen, Jack gasped and shuffled on the berth edge as he clicked away at his controller, playing the experience. His tongue peaking out the side of his mouth as he titled his body to Isaac's movements, concentrating as monsters leaped at him onscreen.

Laying on her side behind him, her curves rising and setting like a smooth metal mountain range of black, silver, pink and blue, Arcee sighed heavily and rolled her eyes in boredom. Her head plopped on her left palm and elbow denting the huge padded mattress under her, she watched Jack scream and gasp at the monsters biting and clawing at Isaac.

"Jack, why do you humans find it so fascinating to scare yourselves? It's ridiculous" She grumbled.

"Because-argh-Cee, its fun to be on the-ahh!-edge, worried about what's going to happen-gah!-next! It's fun!" Jack explained , his eyes never losing connection with the sat up behind him, crossing her long slender legs and resting her elbows on Jack's shoulders, propping her head up in both palms above him.

"And this...Halloween. What is it again?"

"I'm sure I've-AHHH!" Jack's eyes widened as a Stalker screamed out from behind a crate, making a blood curdling bellow and knocking Isaac over. Jack slowed his heart rate as he cut through its torso, with rapid button clicks. "Ah...As I was saying, I'm sure I've explained Halloween to you before"

"Probably, but I wasn't listening" She simply stated. Jack rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"Do you rarely listen?" Jack asked, getting no response. He peered up at her head above his, staring at the TV.

"Cee!"

"Huh, what?" She snapped back from the screen of bright pixels.

"Never mind, just proving my point" Jack laughed, returning to dismembering Necromorphs onscreen. She shuffled around her berth and rolled onto her stomach, head cupped in her palms as she looked at him, her legs kicking up in the air behind her.

"Come on! Tell me about Halloween! I swear I'll listen"

"Okay, okay. Stop with the puppy dog eyes" He laughed as she calmed the brightness of her optics and retreated her pouting bottom lip. His eyes returned to the screen as Isaac walked over the blood stained floor.

"Okay, well...Halloween is a time when kids and sometimes adults dress up as monsters and creepy...well, things, and walk around knocking on doors calling trick or treat"

"Then what? Is that it? Sounds boring" She said all at once.

"Let me finish...Then they collect candy from the people's houses, and put it in bags and then move onto the next. It's a fun time of year" Jack explained, Arcee's eyes popping bright blue and wide.

"Wait, they rob their houses of sugary snacks? Sounds awful? How is this allowed, what about the law?"

Jack couldn't help but burst into laughter, throwing his head back. Arcee growled and snarled her lip, giving him a gentle nudge, knocking him over on the berth.

"Oh Cee, you do make me laugh" he pretended to wipe away a stray tear.

"Uh-huh" She said with a straight face. He sat back up, his mechanical right leg clanking on the floor. She noted that now he didn't even notice the sound, when originally it scared him. How time heals.

"No, Cee. They say trick or treat, and it's basically them asking for free food. It's all for fun, makes people happy"

"Well alright then" she said as she sat back up on her berth, stretching her long legs out.

"What, you gonna stop Halloween from happening if you didn't like the sound of it?" Jack chuckled.

"Maybe" She smirked, closing her eyes and stretching her back, arching it and thrusting her chest forward. Jack gulped as he watched her stretch her curvy body.

"Gah Cee, why?"

"Why what?" She asked, oblivious or evil.

"You know what I mean Missy" Jack said as he reached a save point, Isaac opening the panel and saving his progress as he put the controller down on the berth beside him, his undivided attention given to Arcee.

"Oh do I?" she coyly giggled.

"Yes...you do"

"What? When I stretch...like this?" She smirked as she stretched her body again, knowing it aggravated and excited him.

"This isn't over Arcee. You're lucky you don't have a last name, otherwise I'd have used it" Jack said with a finger pointed as he got up, his right knee whirring.

"Whaah?" She said with a crease in her confused eyebrow. Jack sighed, having to explain something again.

"When I was a kid...hell even now, if I was in trouble, Mom would shout "Jackson Darby!" my full name...scary to hear, you know you've done something bad" he chuckled. Arcee nodded.

"I'll remember that...Jackson Darby" She smirked as she laid out on her berth, giggling like a little girl, a side of her that nobody ever saw, only him. A side of her that she was only happy revealing to her Sparkmate. Jack smiled as he stood in the middle of their quarters.

"Well, maybe one day you can have my last name" Jack nervously laughed, not realizing that Arcee was full aware of human marriages, having studied them to learn what happened to June's husband and Jack's father years ago. She knew that wearing someones last name is a sign of marriage. Her eyes widened at Jack's offer. Jack turned to face her seeing her reaction. Suddenly his smile dropped and his face turned bright red, flushed with color.

"You err...you know what I...oh boy" he rubbed the back of his head. "The one time I don't have to explain something to you. You don't know what Halloween is but you know everything on marriage? Perfect" He sarcastically mumbled.

"You want to...marry me?" She asked. Jack's eyes widened.

"No! God no!" He saw her eyes drop in upset. "I mean well yes, but no...but...well maybe one day I just, gah!" He stammered all at once to her.

"Don't worry Jack, I'm not pushing you into it" She chuckled gently, embarrassed herself.

"I know I know...look, you know I love you, right?" He asked her.

"Of course, and I love you. Though after last night...you better love me" She giggled, biting her lip with suggestive eyebrows bobbing.

"Shush! Mom's living here as well remember, at least until the house is rebuilt" Jack shook his head with a chuckle, the red on his face and heat diminishing.

"Argh...I know" Arcee grumbled as she slouched; sitting up, head in palms.

"What now..." Jack rolled his eyes as he clanged over to her.

"I've loved having you here...I mean really loved it. I wake up in your arms, I power down in your arms. It's just...it's gonna be hard when you go, that's all" She shrugged. Jack tried to crouch to be eye level, but couldn't keep stable thanks to his leg. He simply lifted her chin instead.

"Cee, I've had one hell of a time as well, and it isn't over, we've still got a couple of weeks no doubt"

"I guess...so, what now? I mean it is Halloween and all" Arcee smiled changing he subject.

"Err...gee, I don't know" Jack said as he rubbed his neck.

"We could go for a ride? I mean we haven't been in months!" Arcee sighed, missing having him aboard for her little drives. He lowered his head.

"Cee, I'd love to but...well" He gestured to his mechanical right leg. "Kinda hard to stay on you when that's not a foot" He sighed. She rolled her eyes with a smile, getting up and taking his hand, leading him out into the hall. "Follow me" she said softly.

"But...my game-" he reached out to the room as he was dragged from it, like a child from a toy store.

"Isaac can wait. I have something to show you" She smirked as she walked with him down the long tall hallway of Omega two, past Bumblebee's empty quarters, then Bulkhead's. His door was ajar and inside his foot tapped as he laid on his berth, blaring Slash Monkey, Miko jamming in his room on her guitar, strumming away with violent wrist swings. Arcee and Jack both rolled their eyes as she grasped the giant door handle and slid the hangar-like door across with a gently slam.

"Hey!" A muffled Miko moaned. Jack scoffed a stifled laugh as they rounded the corner towards the familiar command centre.

"For Primus sake Grimlock, I needed that!" Ratchet shouted.

"Oh this'll be good" Arcee smirked. Jack nodded as they entered the huge room, Grimlock's huge dinosaur form struggling to turn around in the massive room, his tail whacking and knocking Ratchet's equipment over.

"Why are you even in that form?" Ratchet growled, ducking under the swinging tail. Grimlock stomped about as he tried to get past the doctor and into the bigger clearing of the huge centre.

"Whoa! Easy big guy!" Jack shouted as Grimlock stared down at him.

"He's not angry, just getting used to not having to always be enraged to use his form...But soon I will be enraged, if he doesn't stop breaking my equipment!" Ratchet shouted in anger, his arms tightly crossed.

Grimlock soon transformed back, raising fists from the ground as the golden toes folded up into his wrists. His huge black head and red visor gleamed down at Jack.

"Me Grimlock...sorry Ratchey" Grimlock sulked.

"It's...Ratchet! Not Ratchey!" the doctor grumbled.

"Me no like him" Grimlock mumbled as he stomped over to the corner of the room, near the Ground Bridge tunnel excavated into the cliff wall.

"I have to say Ratchet, you outdid yourself. This is identical in every way to Omega one!" Jack chuckled, admiring the huge centre, Ratchet stood by his familiar Bridge controls.

"Thank you! Someone who appreciates a little aesthetic! Yes Jack, it turned out wondrous. A perfect reconstruction, right down to the number of rivets in my..." He turned to display his devise, eyes widening to see it gone. He looked everywhere in a blind panic, before setting disappointed eyes on Grimlock.

The colossal softy was sat cradling the flattened device in his huge palm. "Me sorry. Me accidentally sit on it" He seemed genuinely apologetic to the doctor. Ratchet rubbed the bridge of his optics.

"Its...It's alright. I can always...rebuild it" He sighed as he held it in his hands.

"So! Cee, you had something to show me?" Jack asked, breaking the awkward silence and thick tension. She clicked her fingers, remembering.

"Yes, Ratchet, did my update work?"

"Ah yes! It has been fully corrected and installed. I thought you'd have showed him by now?" Ratchet shrugged.

"Showed me what?" Jack was growing impatient. Arcee transformed, looking identical in every way. He couldn't make out a single alteration, at all. "What am I looking at Cee?"

"She revved and turned slightly, showing him her right side. Jack's eyes widened with a smile. Her footrest was now redesigned with a latch, so Jack's leg could hook onto it, allowing him to stay full seated on her, without his foot slipping off her at high speeds.

"We can ride again partner!" she said with a concealed smile.

"This...this is why I love you" Jack smiled as he sat on her, checking his right leg as he gently swung it over, the knee hinge whirring as he pegged it into the slot. A snug fit, no way he could fall out, or off.

"Actually, _I_ invented the upgrade" Ratchet bragged.

"Do you want me to love you?" Jack smirked, threatening the medical officer. Ratchet's proud smile vanished and he gritted his teeth.

"Mmm...Little Scraplet" Ratchet grumbled under his breath as he turned his attention to the bridge controls.

"Shall we?" Jack smiled, taking his helmet and sliding it over his head.

"Oh yeah...let's go-"

"Jack?" shouted the voice of June, Jack's head tilting back with a groan and Arcee's wing mirrors slumping like disappointed shoulders.

"Rain check?" Jack nervously chuckled.

"Uh-huh" Arcee transformed, Jack falling off her as she stood up.

"Hey!" he took his helmet off, watching her stand above him.

"Whoops" She said with little to no enthusiasm. He sat up, groaning as he rested on his knelt right leg, pushing up with his flesh and bone left. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his head as Arcee walked off to the corner of the room, definitely annoyed. June then took his attention, a Motherly kiss to the forehead making Jack cringe.

"Argh, Mom!" The twenty year old groaned, wiping his forehead.

"Hey honey! Just got back from New Jasper. It's looking good! Officials say it'll be totally finished for us to move back in two weeks!" June smiled.

"T-two weeks?" Jack sighed.

"Yeah...why? You look disappointed" A mother's instinct at work.

"No...Not at all" He rubbed his neck. "Just liked staying here is all"

"I know, it's been nice, especially staying up late chatting with the doctor. Hello Ratchet!" she shouted up, a smile and wave back, as Ratchet had actually grown to like her. They would stay up late, Ratchet telling her about Cybertronian medicine and her about human medicine in return.

"Hello G-Grimlock" She stammered as she waved at the titan sat in the corner. He waved back, mimicking her wave, It was rather amusing seeing a titan death machine like him wave in a feminine manor. Poor Bot has a lot to learn.

"Oh hello Arcee! I didn't see you there" June said, getting a sarcastic wave back from Arcee.

"Is she mad at me?" June asked her son.

"No, no Mom. We were just heading out. Wanted to stretch the leg" He nervously chuckled.

"How is it? The leg I mean? You okay?"

"Mmm? Yeah. Yeah I'm getting used to it. It's never gonna be the same, but I guess the more I forget about what it felt like to feel the right one, the more I'll get used to this one" He shrugged, looking down at it, the pistons and suspension spring squeezing in on themselves as he leaned pressure on it.

"I suppose that's one way to think about it" June smiled.

"So mom, how'd you even get to New Jasper with the Bridge down for repairs?" Jack asked. Suddenly a huge red truck pulled up with a hiss behind her.

"He offered me a lift" She smiled as Optimus Prime morphed into his huge proud Autobot stature. His arms folded out with a tensed pose and his head lifted up from the torso, everything locking in to place by the time he was stood at full height.

"Hello Jack. How are you today?" Optimus asked.

"Not bad thanks. I'm getting used to having this bulky thing for a leg. You?"

"I am well. No Decepticon threats mean we Autobots have had time to, as you humans say...kick back and relax. It has been enjoyable. Your mother showed me around the site of New Jasper. It is looking very impressive so far"

"Good...good. Look, Prime. Me and Arcee were just heading out, I'll speak to you later?"

"Indeed Jack. Have a good time" Optimus walked away towards Ratchet to check on any progress. June crossed her arms and looked at Jack.

"What?" he asked as Arcee walked over, hips swaying.

"There's something going on" She gasped "Have you met someone!" June asked, hopeful.

"You have no idea" Ratchet chuckled, a sharp nudge from Arcee stifling his laughter.

"Err...well, no not really" He chuckled, his eyes glowing blue as Arcee neared, somehow going unnoticed by his mother.

"Yes there is isn't there! Come on, whose the lucky lady? Is it Sierra, the girl you were chatting to a few days ago?" June really dropped Jack in the deep end now.

"Sierra huh Jack..." Arcee chuckled sinisterly. "Oh we need to have a talk" She said with a fake, soft happy tone, although Jack knew it was a threat.

"I don't want to go for a ride now" He mumbled as Arcee transformed.

"Tough. Get on"

"Yes Maam" Jack sighed. "Thanks alot Mom" He moaned.

"What'd I say?" She scoffed. Arcee sped off out of the base with her prey.

"So...Sierra huh?"

"Scrap" Jack winced. Jack was in for one uncomfortable ride.

* * *

**Author notes: Start of a more happier, funnier, relaxing story. Hope you all enjoy the sequel to Shattered Glass!**


	2. Chapter 2: Jack's tormenter

Arcee sped along the night time road, the only light source being the swirling black abyss above freckled with many stars, each a titanic star system, each miniscule in the sky. Jack clutched on for dear life, his heart thumping. He had just angered his Cybertronian Sparkmate...and she was Arcee, a lethal warrior who he'd seen rip the head off of a Vehicon and throw it at another one once.

He calmed his heart and quenched his breath, he hadn't done anything to jeopardize the relationship; he only talked with Sierra. It had been years since he'd seen her, since he'd graduated. They bumped into each other while looking around New Jasper.

She along with half the world were wondering what those giant machines were that took control...these, Decepticons. Jack shrugged and went with Fowlers worldwide cover story. A military experiment gone rogue. A worldwide apology issued and peace between scared nations established, though it didn't stop the conspiracy websites going abuzz with information and photographs. Photos of Grimlock fighting in Washington, even a video.

Jack shook his head and looked down at Arcee as he awakened from all the possible scenarios of how this could play out, each ending badly for him. The silence had gone on for too long. Jack opened his mouth inside the helmet.

"Not...a...word" Arcee hissed. Jack shut his agate mouth.

"Look, Cee...all I did was talk to her! I hadn't seen her since high school, that's all! She asked what happened to my leg, you know. Please don't be mad"

"Oh I'm not mad" She said in a calm, almost sarcastic tone.

"But...you are" he raised an eyebrow.

"Nope"

"Cee?"

"Not angry at all" She was frighteningly upbeat and calm. Jack sighed relief.

"Good...I'm glad you're not-" Jack jerked forward as she slammed on her brakes, grinding to a halt on the night time desert road. He sat up, quickly dismounting as she transformed kneeling down, staring at him.

"Of course I'm mad you idiot!"

"Idiot?" Jack asked, shocked at her vulgar language.

"Miko taught me, don't ask. Look, you went behind my back and talked with another girl, a human girl! How is that supposed to make me feel Jack?" Arcee asked him, anger and upset displayed in her cobalt eyes.

"Oh is that what this is about? She's human and you're not?" Jack asked. She looked away at the floor, avoiding eye contact.

"Cee, I love you...look at my eyes, okay?" He asked as she peered up, seeing the glowing blue eyes as he was mere inches away.

"See this?" He pointed to the digital blue glow in his irises. "It means you and I are connected. I have no attraction to Sierra; I haven't since I was a stupid teenager. It's you...that's all I care about. We good?"

"Well...that's a start" she smirked.

"Don't you dare feel threatened by a human _girl_? I love my sexy Cybertronian _woman" _He complimented her by calling her a woman, not a girl.

"Keep going" she chuckled under breath.

"Okay...err, Cee, do you think I'd have been able to join with you if I was secretly attracted to Sierra?"

"Well...no"

"See! I only care about you" He smiled to her. She sighed and dropped her aggression, her shoulders bobbing.

"Nice apology. You better stay good at them" She smirked.

"So...we cool?" Jack asked, hopeful that this whole ordeal was over.

"Eh...why not? It is Halloween" she smiled warmly to him, the blue hue of her eyes gleaming off his skin.

"Well...you sure know how to scare _me_" Jack nervously chuckled. Arcee stood up with a head shake and a gentle laugh exhaled. She stood tall looking out over the night time desert on their right. Jack clanked with his leg as he walked over to her.

"Any ideas of what to do?" She asked with a shrug. Jack rubbed his chin. Suddenly an idea formulated in his mind.

"I know just the thing" He smiled as he clicked his fingers, earning a head tilt and raised eyebrow from his Sparkmate.

...

Arcee and Jack arrived in the completed half of New Jasper, cranes stood immobile like pylons in the distance. She rolled to a stop at the curb. New houses stretched out along the side of the road, each identical to the other except for small modifications, such as double garages, lawn decorations and fences. He pressed his shoe whearing left foot on the curb, steadying his girlfriend.

Arcee didn't quite understand why there were all these orange Pumpkins with faces carved into them.

"Jack? What's with the weird...fruit?"

"Jack O' lantern? It's to do with Halloween Cee. People carve scary faces and such into them, then light them up with candles inside them. Pretty cool right?"

"I guess...I don't fully understand why, but I'll roll with it" She said with a wing mirror shrug.

"Not everything needs to have a definitive reason behind it Cee. There are lots of reasons why people do it. Makes them happy, to bond with family, the list goes on" Jack explained to her.

"Uh-huh...okay, what are we doing?" She asked impatiently.

"Hang on...we're going to have some fun"

"Jack, what fun? Come on, stop teasing" she ordered him. Jack chuckled.

"You remember what me and Smokescreen did to Vince's car all those years ago?"

"Yeah...I did not approve Jack" She stood by her morals. Jack rolled his eyes as he carried on.

"Yeah...well, the other day when I was talking to Sierra" Jack felt Arcee rev a little. "Hey...anyway, Vince came over. Now, I hadn't seen him since high school and he's still a nasty jerk"

"What happened?" Arcee asked in a monotone voice, as if rolling her eyes to this feud.

"He...he saw my leg. Made some joke, I was barely listening. But then he really did it. He stuck his gum to my leg. I should have kicked him in the head when he bent down, but...I couldn't" Jack sighed.

"Hey...it's okay Jack. He's a jerk, just ignore him. You made me and Optimus proud by not attacking him"

"Oh yeah like I could have done anything with this leg, took forever to scrape that gum off it" Jack growled. Arcee sighed and dropped her wing mirrors. Jack was finding it hard to get used to his new leg, the last thing he needed was Vince making stupid jokes.

"So...why'd you bring me here to tell me that, Jack?"

"Because...well, see over there?" Jack pointed forward down the road at a group of laughing twenty year old kids on an old couple's doorstep, throwing eggs at the door, immediately running.

"Uh-huh" the motorcycle replied.

"That's him" Jack shook his head "Guy's twenty and he's still knocking and running, ruining people's holiday"

"Jack, remember what you told me. Revenge doesn't solve anything" She said.

"I know I know, it's just...Just for once, I'd like to embarrass him! I'd like to make him see how it feels, how he made me feel for all my teenage years"

"This isn't the fun I thought we were going to have. Look, Jack...honey, I know how you feel, remember I was there through most of it. You were the bigger man because you backed down. That's what I love about you. You always rise above them...and yourself" Arcee explained. Jack sighed, dropping his shoulders and head.

"Yeah...thanks Cee" he smiled warmly, patting her chrome tank.

"My pleasure. Come on, let's go-"

"Hey Darby!" Vince shouted in his obnoxious tone that managed to make Arcee feel nauseous.

"Oh Yay...it's Vince" Jack said in his sarcastic tone.

"You really still riding that piece of crap?" Vince laughed, high fiving his followers as they laughed simultaneously. Jack sighed, gripping Arcee's handle bars tight and gritting his teeth. Vince had just insulted his love interest.

"Ow...Jack!" She whispered, Jack immediately loosening his grip, apologetic.

Vince began to walk away having won, when he turned throwing an egg, cracking against Arcee's metallic blue side. The egg slowly dripped down her hull, freckled with cracked shell fragments. Jack snarled his teeth; fighting the urge to get off the bike and knock Vince to the ground...he had to fight the urge...For Cee. It wouldn't be fair if he could enact revenge...and she couldn't. But...he couldn't any longer, his eyes pulsing blue.

"That's it!" Jack growled, spinning around and dismounting off Arcee, every step of his right metal foot clanking.

"Jack no!" She whispered, unable to do anything but watch in her rear view mirror. Vince turned as Jack grabbed his collar, pinning him to the wall.

"Get off me Darby!" Vince hissed as Jack snarled at him, holding him by his collar to the wall.

"I am sick to death of you...ruining my life! You did it all through high school, you will not any longer!" Jack growled at him, inches from his face.

"Get...off...me...Darby" Vince snarled, a final warning, his friends, punching fists into palms. Jack knew that he was outnumbered, and he had begun to calm down after having his outburst. He dropped Vince's collar and stepped back. He shook his head with air hissing through gritted teeth.

"You know what? You aren't even worth it. My life's going pretty well right now, I don't need to deal with this shit" Jack swatted his hand at them, turning and walking away, the moment his eyes met Arcee's motorcycle form, he soothed. He thought of the great future he had to look forward to. But Vince couldn't help himself. He wiped across his mouth with the back of his palm, smirking as he stepped back to the path.

"Your life's going well? Ha! Tell that to your leg Darby! Ha-Ha!" He shouted, looking for approval from his friends.

"Dude...too harsh" one of them said to him, the others nodding at least respecting the fact Jack had lost a part of him.

"Wha...what? Oh, come on that's funny!" Vince still trying to get a response for them; Jack simply sighed and looked down at his leg.

"I may be missing a part of myself...but I'm still more of a man than you are, than you'll ever be" Jack said victorious, walking back to Arcee. He reapplied himself to his motorcycle partner, slotting his helmet over his head, and sped away from them. Vince left gobsmacked and his friends scoffing and shaking heads at Vince.

"Ah screw you guys!" Vince swatted his hand and stormed off, with or without them.

Jack sighed as he held onto Arcee. He was inches from knocking Vince asunder, at risk of ruining his clean streak and of stepping along the thin line that Arcee once tread. He had backed down...he'd been the bigger man, even if it didn't feel like it.

"I am so proud of you" She said with a hidden smile. Jack raised his head.

"Why? I let him go..."

"Jack...you won with words...like a Prime" Jack smiled at her. At least he always had her.

"I love you" He whispered.

"And I love you too. Now come on...show me what this Halloween is all about" she said with a chuckle as Jack nodded, pressing on his right leg as they turned sharply round a right bend to a housing estate.


	3. Chapter 3: Arcee, are you jealous?

"So anyways Halloween basically is a bunch of err, loads of old world customs mixed together. It was believed that the spirits of the dead would come out to walk the world of the living on this night!" Jack said in a raspy deep voice, holding his arms stretched out like a zombie, mimicking the idea. Arcee chuckled as she slowed her speed, so Jack could stay steady on her motorcycle frame.

"...So people would leave out gifts for the spirits of their dead relatives, and carve scary faces into pumpkins to keep the scary spirits away" Jack told her.

"Huh, shame we couldn't do that on Cybertron to keep the cons at bay" Arcee chuckled, making Jack laugh. He calmed his chuckling as he continued his explanation for her.

"Shame that over time these meanings were forgotten and the holiday became mostly about children dressing up in silly costumes and begging for candy from their neighbors. And of course, thugs like Vince get their jollies by threatening people with eggs and to Tepee houses" Jack shrugged.

"Teepee?" Arcee asked with a laugh, finding the word funny.

"Oh...throwing toilet paper rolls over houses" Jack explained.

"Oh, well that just sounds unnecessary and annoying" Arcee's laughter stopped when she heard the definition of the word.

"Yep...not fun to clean up" Jack hissed, remembering Vince doing it to his house once.

"Well, not for me...cause I'm taller than you" she laughed.

"Ha-Ha-Ha" Jack rolled his eyes with a sarcastic laugh. "Anyways...So what do you think of Halloween?" he changed the subject back.

"More to this holiday than I thought Jack. Like you said, it's a shame what it's become though" Arcee responded, turning down a street.

"Yeah...so, you understand?" Jack asked her with a squint, waiting for her to reply with a "nope".

"I actually do. Seems like a pretty cool Holiday Jack"

"Yeah, I think so...once you've cleaned the egg off your house...or your face if you're working in a drive through on Halloween" Jack grumbled, remembering more of Vince's bullying.

"Yeah, but now look at you. Working with the Government and Autobots fighting and protecting earth" She comforted him, making him remember the huge change that had happened in the last year.

"Huh, yeah. Life's good right now, beside the whole leg thing. You think I'll still be as good on the field?" he asked her, because she always gave the truth no matter what, she never bull-scrapped him.

"Jack, sweetheart. The only difference will be one leg is flesh, the other is metal. You are still the same man I fell for, remember. You'll still be the same man in combat" her wing mirrors tilting, his reflection gazing back.

"Thank you Cee. I needed to hear that" Jack smiled to her with a gentle rub of her smooth blue curvy side as they pulled to a stop. "Why...why'd you stop Cee?" Jack asked her, confused.

"Oh no reason" she said with a high affliction in her tone. Jack suddenly felt warm arms coil around his torso and a soft moan in his left ear. He turned sharply to see Sadie manifested on Arcee.

"Cee, did you upgrade Sadie?" Jack asked.

"Yep...you like?"

"She's...curvier" He stammered with a nervous tone and chuckle as Arcee hugged him with Sadie.

Jack suddenly realized why she had done this, as Sierra walked past, with some friends, taking younger siblings trick or treating, all wearing cloth capes and thin plastic masks held on by elastic strings.

"Oh...hey Jack" she said to him, curling her hair around her finger.

"Hey Sie-"

"Hello, have we met?" Arcee interrupted through Sadie.

"Err no...Are you Jack's-"

"Girlfriend, Partner? Yeah, that's me. I'm Sadie...but he just calls me Cee, right honey?" She hummed as she leaned her helmeted head forward, still wrapping her biking leather clad arms around him tighter, the hologram actually causing pressure on Jack's torso. Jack looked up in shock and horror at Sierra face, her jaw dropped.

"Oh...I had no idea-"

"Well, maybe you should ask next time before you start "hitting" on a committed man. Let's go Jack" She snarled, though she was in control of the motorcycle, giving him no choice.

"Wait, I never-" Sierra tried to defend, but Arcee was always have the last word, cutting her off.

"Goodbye Sierra" Sadie winced as he waved at her as she stood staring at them, awe slapped on her face.

"Bye Sierra...See you lat-whoa!" Jack barely finished as Arcee suddenly shot off down the road, leaving Sierra gobsmacked.

"Arcee! Was that necessary?" Jack asked, a little angry at her behavior.

"Yep. Made me feel better" She said simply. Jack scoffed a laugh.

"You are so jealous"

"What! No I am not!" Arcee snapped back.

"Arcee, you didn't like the fact I had a chat with her a few days ago so you upgrade Sadie to move and...Well, curve, then find her so you could show off! I think that counts as jealous" He chuckled.

"I...wha...no...grrr, fine, so I was a little jealous" she mumbled. They soon rumbled to a set of workers at an intersection, temporary traffic lights in place on red. Sadie was still hugging him.

"Err Cee? You can let go now"

"No...I don't want to...this feels nice" Arcee moaned as Sadie rubbed and nuzzled her helmeted head at Jack's neck, making him giggle.

"You can feel through her too?"

"This upgrade allows me to do and feel everything I can normally, just through her"

"Wait, so I can take you on a date? Like...err...Bowling!" Jack said, seeing the new Mall being opened near the intersection, a huge building under construction, the only thing missing being the fountains and plants for decorations and some stores inside, plus half of the car park.

"Bowling? what's that?" Arcee asked, nervously.

"It's great fun, you throw a heavy ball down an aisle to knock the skittles over. Knowing you, you'll be ace at it" Jack laughed.

"Like a lob ball? Bulk would be better" She chuckled.

"Ball isn't as big Cee" Jack smiled. "So, may I take you out on a date, Cee?" Jack asked her.

"I guess...huh, I've never done anything like this before Jack...I gotta say, I'm a little nervous" Sadie shrugged with Arcee's voice.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you. We can go do things like a regular couple Cee! We can walk together without you having to worry about being in disguise...I can finally treat you like you deserve to be treated" Jack smiled as the lights changed from red to green.

"How?"

"I can spoil you a little" He smiled, making her smile too. Sadie hugged him tighter.

"Can't wait"

* * *

**Author Notes: Thanks to a Guest who gave me some information on Halloween that i could use to flesh out his description for her. Hope you all like this so far! Next up, Arcee and Jack go bowling! - Dave**


	4. Chapter 4: Nobody hurts my Girlfriend!

Arcee parked up in a completed bay, next to a tarmac laying vehicle as it rumbled past. Jack dismounted as she enabled her kick stand.

"Okay Arcee, now you. Time to get off yourself" he chuckled.

"Err yeah...one sec. Okay, one foot first I guess" She was definitely nervous of leaving her body for the first time in a hard light solid hologram. Sadie stepped one biking leather leg off and rested the heel on the tarmac. Jack could see how nervous she was. Sadie trembled and exhaled from the helmet, shaking her hard light hands free of the nerves Arcee was feeling.

"Cee...its okay sweetheart, take your time" Jack comforted her.

"Whew, okay...thanks" Sadie nodded with an exhale. She swung her other leg over Arcee and finally pressed it down on the floor. Sadie eased forward, taking baby shuffling steps as she stepped away from the now empty Motorcycle. Arcee stood up at human height in Sadie's body.

"Whoa...I...I did it" Arcee chuckled, coming from Sadie.

"Yeah you did. Well done, Cee" Jack said as he comforted her. Sadie gave him a tight hard light hug around his body, feeling the warmth and pressure Arcee was delivering. Jack stepped his mechanical leg forward with a clank as he felt Arcee push into his torso.

"Thank you Jack" she said with a concealed smile. Jack scoffed and gently pushed her up.

"You're welcome, Cee" Sadie stood up and before him in her leather biker uniform and helmet. "Question though Cee. Does Sadie have any other forms? I mean it'll look a little odd if you're walking around in biker gear and a helmet" He chuckled.

"Mmm, good point. I err...I can upgrade her to an appearance I tested a few months ago" Arcee said with a nervous chuckle as Sadie rubbed her head.

"An appearance you tested?" Jack asked.

"Err; it's a little embarrassing..." Arcee said with a bashful heel digging into the ground and tilting her head down.

"Oh?" Jack smugly smirked at her arms crossed, reveling in her embarrassment.

"Well, I err...I designed a human form...using my own features, to see what I'd...what...I-I would look like..."

"...As a human?" Jack finished for her.

"Yeah"

"Wow...this'll be...err...interesting" He rubbed the back of his neck. Jack was going to see what Arcee would look like as a human. He bet, and knew she would be absolutely gorgeous.

"I'll err, go change form in that alley. Better not change appearance out in the open" She chuckled nervously, walking off as Sadie to the nearby parting between waves of brick and steel. Jack stood by the motorcycle of Arcee.

"She is going to look amazing, I know it...I mean if she can look beautiful made of metal and Energon, imagine how she'd look in flesh! I mean don't get me wrong, I know I'll prefer her Autobot form, because that's her! That's the woman I fell for. Nothing can top that-"

"Jack?" His eyes shot open wide and he froze dead still at the familiar voice. It was Arcee's voice. He stopped babbling to himself and peered at the motorcycle.

"Cee?"

"You know I only uploaded 48% of my core into the hologram? My main data load is still in my Autobot form" She chuckled; his face rosy red as he rubbed his neck and giggled with a high pitch tone.

"You heard all that?" he asked with a squeak.

"yyyyep" she longed it out with a flick of higher tone at the end. "So I'm beautiful am I?" She chuckled, reveling in _his_ embarrassment.

"Well yeah Cee, course"

"Aww. And you'll always prefer my Autobot form?" she self-consciously asked.

"That's what I fell in love with. Sadie is just a way for you to be out in public with me" He shrugged to the motorcycle.

"That's...a relief to hear. I was always worried that you'd run off with a human-"

"Hey Darby!" an arrogant voice shouted. Jack rolled his eyes and clanked his right leg as he spun to face the approaching Vince.

He was with his loyal followers, all looking at him smugly. They stood in a group before Jack.

"You've come here alone Jack? No date? Aww, how sad" Vince laughed, his friend belly laughing to their leader.

"Where's your date Vince? Is it one of these guys?" Jack scoffed. Arcee knew exactly what to do. In the nearby alleyway, Sadie updated her form and readied her plan.

Meanwhile Vince flared his teeth at Jack's comment.

"Watch yourself Darby"

"Oooh, scared" Jack sarcastically sneered. Vince stepped up to him.

"I said...watch it. I'd hate to bash your face in when your date's waiting...oh that's right, you have no one, just that stupid bike" Vince laughed again, Jack just staring back, a flare in his lip.

"Actually...he does" A voice said from behind, Jack looking over Vince's shoulder, his eyes popping and jaw dropping wide. Vince tracked Jack's vision and saw it too, his eyes and mouth wide.

Stood before them was a feminine figure. She had long brunette hair, curling over her shoulders with a pink highlight tracking down the fringe and along the sides of her face to her shoulder, like her Cybertronian form. Her curves were smooth and perfectly sculpted, shown off as her wide hips curved down to long slender legs, covered with tight skinny black jeans and thigh high leather black boots, a hint of heel to the boots. She was wearing a dark ocean blue top, the silky fabric gliding over her midriff and flat stomach. She smiled at them with a bat of her long eyelashes and pink lips smirking.

She trotted her boots over to Jack, not even giving Vince a glance; he might as well have not even existed. Jack smiled at her as she looped her arm under his and walked past the jaw dropped thugs.

"Let's go Jack" She smugly said, taking him to the awaiting mall. Jack was still trying to lift his dragging jaw.

"Whoa...Cee...I...err...You..."

"What? You like" She swung her heard around, taking the pink trail of hair from her fringe and looping it behind her left ear, out of her eye line.

"Okay, Arcee. You realize that you are incredibly hot as a human right? Like...drop dead gorgeous"

"You still prefer my Autobot mode?" She chuckled, though nervous at his answer.

"I fell for that...but this is also nice. To be honest Cee, as long as it's you, I don't care" He smiled as they walked through the automatic sliding doors, the cool sensation of air conditioning hitting them.

"Good answer" she smiled, pecking a kiss on his cheeks, the hard light lips being surprising soft. He sighed and smiled at how amazing his life was right now...then he jinxed it.

"Ow!" Arcee said, holding her arm, wincing.

"Hey, you okay?" Jack asked looking at her arm.

"Yeah...I err...Ow! Arghh!" She held her burning arm, running over the dragging sensation. She lifted her sleeve of tight blue fabric, seeing a red line of scratches running down her skin, as if a poltergeist was hurting her.

"Cee! What the hell"

"Argh! Gah...something's being dragged down my skin!"

"There's nothing on you!" Jack panicked.

"Not the hologram...me!" She looked up. Jack suddenly realized. He had left past Vince and left Arcee's Autobot form in the parking lot.

"Those motha..." Jack snapped. He slammed his right foot with a bang, cracking the marble tile. He turned and began storming back to the car park.

"Jack no!"

"No one hurts my Girlfriend!" Jack shouted, leaving the hologram of Sadie and Cee in the lobby. He parted the automatic door and saw it. Across the lot, Vince and his friends were dragging keys along Arcee's hull, scratching her paint. He could hear their laughter, and it aggravated his skin and blistered his cerebrum. He finally had enough of Vince. He hurt Arcee. No one hurts her.

Jack's feet made a rhythm as he paced towards them: _clang-pat-clang-pat-clang-pat_, His metal foot and human foot working in unison. Vince turned, seeing him. He chuckled.

"Ha! Look Darby we upgraded your-"

"Jack swung, roaring and unleashing a punch on Vince's face, knocking him back against the wall of a Van parked beside Arcee. He saw the silver scratches on her hull. Vine clutched his nose and whimpered as he staggered up, Jack slamming his metal knee up into Vince's stomach, making him groan, winding him.

Jack stepped back looking over him as he groaned, clutching his nose and stomach, hunched over. He peered up at his friends.

"Is he really worth you guys getting involved?" Jack snarled at them. They turned walking away. Vince saw them leave.

"Hey! W-where are you coward's going-argh" Vince groaned. Jack bent down to him.

"They aren't true friends Vince. They follow you because you are...popular, if we're going pretend we're still in high school. But when it comes down to it, they will never risk there asses for you...because you truly aren't worth it" Jack snarled, shoving Vince's head as he bent up. Jack stopped as he began to walk away.

"Oh! And you ever touch my Motorcycle, or my girlfriend again...and I will not let you off so easily. Change of power's a bitch huh? I'll expect the cost for the damages soon...or I'll hunt you down" Jack smirked as he whispered it, turning and walking back to the mall. Vince stood up, snarling and furious at his embarrassment.

"You know Darby; I'd have kicked your ass...if you weren't some handicap!" He shouted, smudging the blood from his nose with a thumb swipe. Jack stood and simply looked back over his shoulder, fists clenched.

"You ain't worth it...Now; I have a date to get back to. And you, have a nose to fix" Jack chuckled as he walked back through the double doors. Vince sighed as he wiped the running blood away from his bent nostrils. He winced at the touch and walked away clutching his chest. Jack felt a sense of pride. He hadn't done it out of revenge. He'd done it to protect his girlfriend, who they were in the act of hurting. She stood there, bouncing on the spot, her head bobbing as she looked up, and gorgeous big electric blues locking with his digital blues. He smiled s he walked over to her. She rubbed her hologram arm.

"You okay Sweetheart?" Jack asked her, wrapping his arms around the small of her back. He coiled her close as she looked up into his eyes, pushing a lock of pink aside over the majority of her brunette hair.

"Yeah...What...what did you do to Vince?" She asked, worried.

"I simply taught him not to mess with my girlfriend...or my motorcycle"

"Huh, good idea...would be hard to explain to him that your girlfriend...is a motorcycle" Arcee sighed.

"You aren't a Motorcycle Cee. You are so much more than meets the eye" He winked. She mouthed an "Aww" and pouted as she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Even though she was a hologram as of now, she could feel his pressure, his firmness and softness as he kissed back, eyes closed. She could feel the rough fabric of his shirt as she ran her hand down his chest as he held her too his torso.

They parted and looked at one another. She was worried that he would see her as someone totally different. All he saw was his beloved Cee. He smiled and coughed as they broke their hold on one another, Arcee enjoying the luxury of hair as she coiled a lock around her finger, biting her lip slightly as she looked away, Jack clearing his throat.

"Right...err. Shall we go bowling then?"

"Sounds great" She smiled to him, taking his hand and finally walking with him, not worrying about having to hide in plain sight.


	5. Chapter 5: Romantic day together

Arcee walked along with her beloved Jack, for once him being taller than her. Though she noticed they were getting glares and questioning faces, not at her though. She looked at Jack, ignoring it all.

"It's the leg Cee. Don't worry about it" He said bluntly. She looked away from his ignoring gaze as he tightened her hand and walked onwards as whispers sounded. She hated it, how people would gossip and stare at him. How his wound was something to leer at, to treat him differently over. She shook her head.

"How do you put up with this?" she asked with despair in her blue eyes.

"Just ignore it. We're here together, right? Let's enjoy ourselves. I know I'll jinx this but...Nothing could ruin this moment" he smiled as she hugged him, walking towards the bowling alley.

"Mmm, thank you Jack" She smiled gleefully as her hologram held him close, his arm tightly wrapped around her curved waist.

"What for?" He asked.

"Giving a war torn bot a second chance...at happiness. I know I'm no good at the sappy stuff but...I love you Jack, with all my spark" she said, nuzzling his neck.

"You're welcome Cee. Thank you for being at the Burger joint that day. I can't imagine my life without you" He kissed her forehead.

They arrived at the bowling alley, entering the long strip of carpeted floor, several long stretches of polished wooden floor alongside, bowling alleys empty of use bar three. They neared the counter, the sounds of pins crashing and bouncing and people cheering.

"See, this is what people need when times are hard. Good times to enjoy" Jack smiled. He released his hug on Arcee as he stood by the counter, Arcee stood with her hands behind her back and leather boot swiveling into the carpet as she looked bashful, unsure of what to do. She peered up under her long eyelashes at Jack as he grabbed two pairs of shoes. Arcee raised an eyebrow as he popped them down before her.

"Jack, I've got these?" She motioned to her slender leather boots. "I don't need new...shoes?" she pointed at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Cee, you need them to play" Jack said. She huffed and leaned over to him, whispering.

"Jack, I'm a hologram...I can't where those" She said with a shrug.

"Oh...right. Well...err...Can't you like, scan them on your feet or something? People aren't looking"

She peered around as he was right. With a nervous grin she looked down, her blue eyes scanning the shoes and replacing the boots with a sudden flickering swap.

"Okay, there...I'm wearing these disgusting things" She mumbled and moaned. Jack just finished lacing up his.

"Yeah, but you still look hot in them Cee" He smirked, making the human face of hers blush red.

"You flatterer" She gently shoved him. He placed her physical bowling shoes back over the counter while no one was looking and they walked over to their alley. She walked up the steps, looking around at the families playing. A mother bowled a strike, knocking them down, cheering and turning as a little boy, no older than five ran into her arms, hugging her tight and chuckling as she threw him up in the air, holding her dear son tight in a hug and kiss to the soft forehead.

Arcee smiled as she watched, lowering her eyes and sighing.

"I want that..." She whispered to herself, looking away at Jack. She saw him tapping at the terminal, looking up at the screen. She just watched him as he worked on tapping in his name, scrolling through the letters, Jack slowly being written on the score tally. She smiled to herself. She may never be able to have children, but at least she could be with him...even if she'd vastly outlive him. She shook her head at the thought.

"Cee? You want me to write up your name? What'd you want? Cee, or Sadie, or Arcee?" He asked her.

"Probably best we use Sadie or something Jack. From what I hear, Arcee isn't exactly a common name on Earth" She chuckled. Jack nodded.

"Okay" He typed in three letters: C...E...E

"Jack!" She said to him.

"I don't care if people think your name if different. That is your nickname, understood?" He said firmly. She nodded with a grin.

"Yes sir" She giggled.

"Alright then, now, you want to go first?" he asked her as he beckoned to the alley, pins set up down the strip of polished wood.

"Err, Jack, I don't know what to do!" she laughed as he walked behind her giving her a gentle push, sliding her hologram form along the wooden floor, giggling and laughing as he did.

"Now, pick up a ball" He explained to her softly. She complied, her hard light fingers sliding into the slots and slowly lifting the heavy sphere. She held it to her chest with both hands.

She felt Jack's arms slide up her wrists, helping her hold it as she faced the alley.

"Okay, now...Just pull your right arm back" He whispered in her ear, her eyes closing and a smile on her lips as she felt soothed by his close voice and gentle breath. "...and swing it forward gently" he said as he pulled her arm back, swinging it forward.

She released the ball, flying upwards, falling back down as they both winced at the loud bang that echoed and the heavy ball bouncing, falling into the gutter and sliding away passed the unmoved pins. Jack looked around at all the people staring, eyebrows creased at them. Arcee winced again as she nervously waved. Jack nodded at them.

"Okay Cee...maybe just let go of it a little earlier" he chuckled in her ear.

"Yeah...got it" they both turned away from the people to the alley again, Arcee picking up the ball as it returned to them along the rail. She picked it up, her eyes narrowing as Jack left her to do it herself. He could see that this human girl was definitely Arcee. Her eyes were narrowed at the alley just like when she aims her blasters. His eyes then wondered down across her body, admiring her curves that fit into her jeans as her back arched upwards. Her long slender legs captured in human form, stood straight together, only accenting her wide hips further.

"Ahem?"

He broke his stare and looked up at Arcee smirking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" he nervously chuckled with a neck rub.

"Nothing..." She smiled, turning back to the alley. She lifted the ball, stepping forward and releasing the ball like a professional, the ball skimming along the wooden floor in a straight line. It struck the pins, a loud clanking sounding and all of them tumbling down as the ball crashed through them.

"You got a strike on your first go" Jack's jaw dropped. She bounced up, legs flicking up behind her each time.

"Yes!" she cheered. After a few seconds of her bouncing and cheering, she turned to Jack sharply, her hair whipping round her face, the brunette with a thin line of pink to the right side splashing across her cheek.

"Well done Cee!" He chuckled as she walked over to him.

"You told me what to do"

"Now 'm going to show you what to do" He smirked.

"Oh is that so?" She leaned in to his ear "Well, maybe later you can show me what else you can do" Her voice was practically dripping with seduction, and she knew it as Jack froze solid, his eyes fixed on the far wall and his throat cleared several times. She smirked walking over and sitting down on the bench.

"Okay Jack...Just go out there and get a strike. Easy...right?" he mumbled to himself. His one shoe wearing flesh left foot stood slightly in front of his mechanical right as he held the ball up, aiming over it, and lining it up with the grid on the alley.

He swung the ball forward with a few steps forward the ball skimming the wood and hitting the skittles head on. He winced as all of them fell...except one. It swung and twirled before standing rigid again. His eye twitched.

"Gah...I'm never going to hear the end of this" he moaned, already hearing her get up.

"Sooo...you were going to show me how it was done right?" she smirked as she stood over his shoulder. Jack rolled his eyes.

"See, to me...there's still one standing. Now am I missing something or aren't they all meant to be knocked down?" She bragged.

"Heheheheh...funny. I'm a little rusty that's all"

"So's Ratchet but he moved more graceful than you" Arcee chuckled.

"hoo! Good one!" He sarcastically laughed. "I'll be lucky if I don't rust like Ratchet the way you go on at us" Jack mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing sweety!" he called back, her eyes rolling with a smirk as she watched Jack knock the final pin down with the second throw.

"Spare...okay, not too bad" Jack nodded.

"Step aside" Arcee chuckled as she held her bowling ball, standing and waiting for the pins to reset. Jack sat down, adjusting a loose bolt on his right leg. She peered back at him, Jack sighing heavily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, unable to do the bolt up tight enough. She felt for him, she really did. Ratchet still had to work on Jack's new leaner leg, so he was still stuck with the bulky prototype.

"Jack?" she called to him gently. He looked up at her, slapping a fake smile on.

"You okay?" She asked him, genuine concern in her tone. He nodded.

"Yeah! Yeah, go on take your go" he smiled to her. She softly smiled back with a reluctant nod. She faced the alley, staring at the pins. She peered back at the love of her life as he adjusted his leg, tugging on the suspension spring. His head dropped in defeat to his cupping palms, shaking his head and lifting it again.

She turned and threw the ball down the alley, purposely knocking only two of the right side pins down, doing the same again for her second attempt.

"Oh well" She shrugged as Jack perked up.

"Oh! What happened?" He asked her, with a little concern.

"Nothing Jack...Just a little distracted" she smiled at him. "Come on, your go" she offered her holographic hand and he accepted, hauling the wounded human up, pulling him close. With their faces only mere inches apart, she leaned into his, lips almost touching and eyes locked on one another's blue auras. She peered over at the Halloween decorations on the counter. She gazed back at Jack.

"Happy Halloween" She smiled as they leaned in, kissing passionately, forgetting where they were. Her eyes closed as she ran her hand up the back of his head, his long black hair ruffling against her holographic hand, feeling each scrape and brush. Jack simply ran his hands along her curved hips. She moaned gently as did he as they kissed at the bowling alley.

Vince limped by the bowling alley entrance, peering in seeing them both. He grimaced and rolled his eyes as he carried on limping, dry blood under his nose. He was alone...and deserved to be.

Arcee parted with his lips, looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah...Happy Halloween Cee" Jack smiled back.


	6. Chapter 6: Mom learns the truth

An hour or so later, they left the bowling alley. Jack's head was low as she was on top of the world.

"Ten strikes, not one damn spare" Jack shook his head.

"I know! I'm awesome at bowling" she chuckled.

"That you are Cee. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact your brain is basically a super computer that worked out the exact speed and degree needed to score every time" he smiled, lifting his head, forgetting about his incredible loss.

"Well La-Di-Da" she stuck her tongue out at him like a child, making him laugh. She retracted the tongue and laughed too. He looked around the mall at the exit.

"Come on, let's go" Arcee said.

"You sure?"

"Jack I have had an amazing time, possibly the best of my entire life...it's just...being this hologram...it drains my Energon" she whispered the last part in his ear, almost embarrassed, though it was so nobody overheard and wondered what Energon was. He nodded in approval.

"Well okay, I'm sure we can find something else to do" He smiled. "At least let me walk you back to...you?" He scratched his head.

"I'd like that" She smiled as he hugged her, holding her tight as they walked together, hands holding. They walked through the double doors. And out through the lot. Her smile dropped when she saw her form. Long silver scratches along her side.

"Argh...I forgot about that" She grumbled.

"Dicks...nobody hurts my girl" Jack said to himself as he assessed the damage. Three long scrapes down her side. She'd had worse in combat, it was just irritating.

"It'll heal Jack...don't worry" She said.

"Yeah...I guess. But that's not the point"

"I know...I know. I'm still flattered by how you stood up for me, Partner" She giggled, hands behind her back and a long pink lock flowing down from the rest of her brunette hair.

"You are a stunner, you know that...a stunner in both forms. That's impressive Cee, to be gorgeous in two bodies" He chuckled, raising the holographic lock from her eye line.

"Well, I'll save this as the new Sadie then" she smiled.

"Yeah...sounds good" Jack hummed as Sadie's hologram finally dissipated, Arcee sighing with relief from the motorcycle.

"Ahh! I feel whole again. That was tiring to hold it that long" She moaned as Jack clambered on, sitting his mechanical foot in the newly made slot for his foot and his left on the same old footrest. He grabbed his helmet and applied it to his head, holding her handlebars.

"Thank you Jack...for a wonderful evening, you're a real gentlemen"

"You're welcome Cee. Anything for you" He smiled as they drove out of the parking lot, speeding back out of New Jasper towards home...Omega Two.

"Hey, Jack?" She broke the silence. Jack peered down through the visor.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I was...jealous. I know I must have put you in an uncomfortable spot with Sierra. Sorry" she apologized to him softly. He pats her gas tank.

"Hey...I never said I hated it. I love you for that Cee. Maybe she shouldn't have ignored me and got my name wrong all those times in high school. Anyway, I'm a thousand time's happier with you than I would ever be with her" Jack said, Arcee stopping along the empty night time road in the desert. Jack dismounting quickly.

"Oh now what? Have I upset you or offended you?" Jack moaned as she transformed, bending down and facing him, not saying a word.

"Honestly, what did I say I mean I-" He was cut off by Arcee's lips meeting his, eyes closed and moaning slightly into her mouth. A flurry of emotions and sensations flooded his nervous system and brain in a vibrant explosion of electricity and color.

After around a minute of locked lips, she parted slowly, gently biting his bottom lip as she peeled away, opening her eyes as Jack struggled to stand upon wobbly legs. His eyes glimmered open and he was lost for words, only stuttering and gasping.

"Whoa...a-and that?" Jack asked with a grin from ear to ear.

"For saying you're happier with me. For always being here for me...Primus for everything Jack. You've shown me that there is so much more to life than killing and watching friends die, than getting revenge for fallen partners. Thank you" She smiled warmly, her eyes glowing like blue and pink stars on a canvas of soft silver skin.

"No problem Cee. Thank you for being at K.O Burger that day. I couldn't imagine how empty my life would be if I didn't see you there, and get on...I love you"

"And I you Jack...and I you" She kissed him again. They parted after the kiss and looked into one another's eyes.

"So, you wanna go back to base?" Jack asked.

"I guess. Prime wants us back anyways"

"Why?"

"No Idea...hop on Partner" She smiled as she morphed into her motorcycle, Jack placing his prosthetic leg in the slot and shimmying over onto her. With an engine roar, she raced off towards the tall mountain concealing Omega two.

...

Arcee sped into the base as the other Autobot's helped Grimlock up from the floor, Ratchet babbling and cursing in Cybertronian. She transformed listening to him spouting the ancient language.

"Uh-oh. Ratchet only ever uses the old dialect when he' truly fragged off" She chuckled as Jack removed his helmet.

"What happened Ratchet?" she asked in an uninterested tone, hands on polymer hips. Ratchet steadied his spark pulse and quenched his anger.

"I'll tell you what happened. Big old clumsy oaf over here knocked over a device and it crushed Jack's prosthetic replacement!" Ratchet cursed. Arcee sighed and looked at Jack, seeing the flat leg.

"Oh...well. No problem Ratchet, I can cope with this one for a little longer" Jack said, swallowing over the lump in his throat. Arcee stared at Grimlock.

"Me sorry! Me too big for here!" he moaned as Smokescreen pat the titan's back.

"Well...tell Jack sorry, not me!" Ratchet grumbled.

"Me sorry Jack!" Grimlock said with a sad affliction to his words. Jack chuckled gently.

"No worries big guy, must be hard being your size on this planet" Jack shrugged.

"it difficult" he simply mumbled. Jack sighed and stretched his arms out, walking over to the ladder, climbing the platform to the top of it, the sofa housing Raf and Miko. Little did Jack know that every time he climbed that ladder since Silas cut his leg off, Arcee had watched and been prepared to lunge and catch him if his metal stump slipped.

Miko and Raf were eyes locked on the screen, fingers clicking over the buttons, Miko upside down, pigtails hanging down and legs kicking in the air.

"Hey guys" Jack said with a yawn.

"Tired are we? Arcee keep you up? Too much smoochin!" Miko managed to say before bursting into laughter, a giggle coming from Raf.

"What! How-"

"Bulkhead told us" Raf simply answered, eyes on the screen.

"Bulk!" Jack shouted as the Wrecker pulled Grimlock up to his feet, almost double his height.

"Sorry, I can't keep secrets Jack! Miko got it out of me!"

"Got what out?" Arcee asked. Bulkhead froze at the sight of her. Miko sat up, mimicking with her hands like puppets, thumbs for bottom jaws.

"Oh hello Arcee, I'm Jack...and I looooove you!" Miko put on a deep voice, one hand opening and closing like a mouth. Arcee's jaw dropped and her eyes popped wide "Oh Jack, I'm soooo glad! Kiss me! mmmmmmmwah!" Miko pushed the hands together. Miko laughed after a higher pitch tone for Arcee's mimicking. She looked down from the platform.

"That's it...Let me at her" Arcee snarled, trying to reach over the yellow painted hand rails. Miko laughed as she walked back over to the out of reach sofa.

"Easy Cee...Easy. Bulk...please, tell me you didn't tell Mom?" Jack trembled.

"Tell Mom what?" June asked, stood in the huge doorway to the rest of the base, Grimlock stomping by her.

"About me and Arcee" Jack answered quickly, only when he saw Arcee's wide eyes along with everyone else's did the realization hit him like a sack of bricks hurled at one hundred miles an hour. He slapped his forehead and groaned, peering down at June.

"I...can explain?" Jack winced, Arcee nervously chuckling. June struggled to understand at all. She simply said what she'd said to him countless times: "You have some explaining to do young man. I err; think that you should come with me" June said in shock. Jack and Arcee sighed, Jack sliding down the ladder and walking to his mom slowly, her foot was tapping and arms crossed, still trying to understand it.

"Okay Jack, I'll see you later" Arcee tried to sneak away.

"Ah-ah-ah! You too Missy" she signaled at Arcee. The Autobot femme sighed and groaned as she too turned, slouching over to June.

"Busted" Smokescreen chuckled.

"Who told _you_?" She asked the rookie. He pointed at Bulkhead.

"Bulk...after this...I'm going to tear you apart" She hissed, walking by the trembling Wrecker.

"Halloween just got a lot scarier, huh?" Jack sighed.

"Yep" Arcee huffed, both of them following June as she led them to her temporary quarters.

Bulkhead walked over to the platform, looking at Miko. "You knew June was there didn't you?" Bulkhead asked.

"Yep!" Miko chuckled, immediately opening her phone, showing Bulk her snapshot of Jack and Arcee's priceless faces. Bulkhead couldn't help but laugh. Meanwhile Ratchet was picking up trodden on experiments and equipment.

"Primus why!" He called, dropping to his knees at the state of his work.

...

After a solemn walk, both Arcee and Jack were trying to think of an excuse or misunderstanding. They had nothing. June pointed at the inside of her tall door to the room, both slouching inside. June tapped her foot, having no idea how to handle this...at all. Jack sat on her small bed end, Arcee sitting on the floor beside him.

June walked in and stood in front of them both, the door firmly shut.

"Okay, since I have no idea in hell if how to approach this...explain" She beckoned to them with open arms. Arcee and Jack looked at one another. She shrugged and Jack raised his hands with an exhale.

"Umm, you two! I'm waiting?" June tapped her foot. "Jackson Darby, what did you mean by me and Arcee? I take it partners right? Though that isn't what I heard Miko talking about"

"I'm going to kill her" Jack sighed. "Okay Mom, I'll tell you...but you may want to sit down"

"I'm quite fine standing, thank you Jack" She shrugged him off.

"Okay..." Jack took a deep inhale. He was about to tell his mother that he had not only been secretly dating his Cybertronian guardian, but he'd also become Sparkmates with her. No man was ready for that. "Arcee and I...we are in a relationship, have been for several months" June just stood there, eyes not moving or her expression.

"And we're Sparkmates, by the way" Arcee added with a hand up, getting a glare from Jack.

"Not helping Cee" Jack said as she shrugged. June simply stood there, fixed on the wall behind them. Jack got up, carefully approaching his mother.

"Mom? You okay?" She slowly tilted backwards, falling to the floor; feet lifting up with a thud and clapping back down, Jack wincing.

"I take that as a no..." He bent down to help his fainted mother up, Arcee picking her up and placing her on the bed.

"Err...so can I go?" Arcee asked, Jack shooting her a glare. "What?" she defended.

"Okay...that did not go well" Arcee rubbed her head.

"We could run away! Anywhere Mom won't find us!" Jack trembled.

"That hardly solves the problem Jack" She rolled her eyes.

Slowly June's eyes opened one by one. She peered up at the two looking over her, moaning and clutching her head.

"Mom! Mom, you okay?" Jack asked.

"Uh-huh. Weird...I had a dream that you two were in a relationship! Ha-ha but that would be crazy right?" June nervously laughed as she sat up. Jack shrugged along with Cee. "Right?" June tried again.

"Look, June. Jack and I are both old and wise enough to know how to make this work" Arcee explained.

"Make this work? Arcee, I adore you, but you are a tall mechanical woman from the planet Cybertron! How did you ever fall for my son?" June asked her. Arcee sighed and looked at Jack.

"He was there for me...helped me...saved me. What can I say June...I...I love him" She smiled at him.

"And I love her Mom. I know, this isn't what you envision for me-"

"You got that right!"

"But...I would rather be with someone who makes me happy, than someone you approve"

June sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she got off the bed. "Jack, I...It's not that I don't approve, it's just...how? How can this work?"

"I don't know Mom, it just does...we can't explain it. The point is I'm happy...and I hope she is too" He smiled at her.

"I am...the happiest I've ever been" Arcee said with a loving smile at her Sparkmate.

"Wow, that's coming from someone who's been around a lot longer than us" June rolled her eyes at the idea.

"Mom...I want your approval...but not if it means I have to give her up...cause I won't" Jack stood his ground. June's defense dropped, proud of her grown up son.

"That's my boy. Defending his girl" June smiled. "Well...that's not what I was expecting to hear this evening...but I guess it was only a matter of time you two" She said as she began to leave, both Arcee and Jack flabbergasted.

"Wait, what?" Arcee reveled.

"You knew?!"

"Please Jack, I'm your mother; I've seen the way you look at her. I've overheard you saying her name in your dreams for years"

"MOM!" Jack shouted in protest, Arcee raising an eyebrow and smirking at Jack, just the information to use against him.

"I just never realized it was because you loved her" June began to walk out, Jack and Arcee sighing relief.

"Oh...and what did Arcee mean by...Sparkmates?" She asked from the door. "That like...pen-pals, right?" Jack sighed, getting up and pulling his mother back in gently.

"Sit down again Mom...okay...Basically-" The door shut to the room, silence returning in the hall.

"WHAAAAAT!" June shouted, disrupting the quiet.


	7. Chapter 7: Arcee's Ruminations

June walked slightly dazed down the hallway with Arcee and Jack watching her every move, every expression for a response, though she was only showing the one: shock.

"So...You and Arcee...bonded..."

"Yeah..." Jack smoothed his hand down the back of his head.

"Well...err, I hope you used protection?" June nervously chuckled, really unsure how to talk to her son about this. Jack recoiled slightly, grimacing and blushing, Arcee rolling her eyes.

"Ah, Mom! We don't need to go through that!"

"Well...did you? I'm not going to have a human..."Cybertronian?" grandchild, am I?" June said hands on hips, raised eyebrow at Jack and Arcee.

Arcee sighed and looked down. "Don't worry June; you'll never have to worry about that" Arcee heavily sighed as she walked off past them. June looked back at Jack, his eyes dimming as she left.

"Whoa...what's that?" June pointed at his eyes.

"Oh! Right, it's a side effect of being Sparkmates. I think it's cool"

"How have I not noticed that?" June exclaimed.

"I don't know...I haven't been close enough to Arcee for you to notice before, I guess"

"Look Jack; I...know you've grown up...you work with her. And with everything that's happened and how she looked after you when...well" She motioned her palm to Jack's leg. "But are you sure you and her are...possible? You know the future?"

"Mom, enough" He said firmly. "Look, I love Arcee and I'm going to spend my life with her. What can I say Mom? She...she makes me happy"

"I know sweetheart, and I'm happy for you...it's just...do you...do you one day want..."

"Want what?"

"A family" June said to him.

"Mom, Arcee is a warrior! There is no way she'd want something like that. And yeah there have been times she's shown me that she'd make one amazing mother...but I know her...she'd hate to be tied down like that"

"Do you...want that?"

"I...oh I don't know Mom. But if I can't have it with Cee, then it ain't worth having" Jack said with finality as he walked past her. June smiled at her son as she watched him walk into the room.

She remembered how she'd clobbered Silas with a metal pole to save her son...too late having his severed leg under her steps. How Arcee was stood by him, clenching his hand as June wrapped up her son's bleeding leg. Arcee kept repeating that Jack can't die and leave her alone. Maybe that was June's first clue to their love not being a figment of her imagination. June had heard Jack say Arcee in his sleep and all the sketches and drawing he did of her while she was away on Cybertron for four long years. Maybe it was only a matter of time, as long as he was happy.

"June? Are you alright?" The tall Prime asked as he stood behind her. She glanced up with a smile.

"Yeah...I take you already knew about them" she said as Optimus bent down.

"I did. But it was there place to inform you, not mine"

"Yeah...they informed me alright. Tell me Optimus, do you have a Sparkmate?" she asked, to see if he could tell her if what they did was true...if they truly were bonded forever. Optimus reluctantly nodded.

"Yes...Yes I do. Her name was...is Elita One. I loved-love her with all my Spark"

"So do you...bond for life? Is Jack now tied to her?"

"Yes...But it is a gift that they were blessed with. They overcome impossible odds and merged heart and spark, blood and Energon. It is only possible if the love is genuine, and obviously theirs was. They remind me of Elita and myself sometimes" Optimus explained to her.

"Where is she...Elita I mean?" June asked unawares.

"One with the Allspark" Optimus sighed as he stood up, walking off past her into the Command Center. June looked at Optimus as only being a bold loveless leader. Now she knew why...why he never got close to anyone...He had lost the only person he was close too. She walked onwards into the base, going to talk to her friend Ratchet. He wanted to learn about human physiology, in case Jack got hurt again.

Meanwhile Jack was looking for Arcee, unable to find her.

"Hey Smokescreen!" Jack called up, as the Rookie bent down to him.

"Hey Jack, what's up?"

"You seen Cee anywhere?" Jack asked, peering around the Command Center.

"Not since earlier. She walked off to the lift"

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later" he pat the Rookie's shoulder as he walked off, past Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

"Yep. Will do!"

...

Arcee looked out over the night time sky from aloft the roof of the base. She hugged her knees and admired the huge full moon as it loomed out over the distant desert and construction of New Jasper. She sighed and closed her eyes, only gently. She could feel the lunar glow illuminating upon her silver skin. She reopened her optics and peered down at her feet. She looked at her boots and tried to wiggle toes, unable to...since she had none. She sighed and activated Sadie, stood before her was her human self, stood gorgeous, curvy and long brunette hair.

She just sat staring at her human reflection. She went to brush a lock out of her own Cybertronian eye line, shocked when she felt nothing but air. She looked at her palm and raised an eyebrow at the human movement trait she picked up.

"Did I just...Gah, I'm so confused" she said, gently slapping her palms against her forehead. She peered up at her human reflection again.

"I...What do I want?" She looked at her human form. Arcee looked over the body. It wasn't the human body she wanted...it wasn't even the hair...it was the ability that a female human had, something that could happen with Jack, but only with a compatible human female body. Her eyes widened at it.

"I want...a family?" She scoffed at herself, palms cupped over her mouth as she gasped. She had never had any desire like this before in all her existence. She was a warrior, always had been. Now she was dreaming of a peaceful life and becoming...a mother.

"No...No, how can that be? How can I of all people want to be a mother?" she snarled. She peered at Sadie, herself cast in human flesh. She looked at the human stomach covered in the blue top. She simply pressed her palm on the human stomach and sighed.

"I can never have that...never" She took a deep inhale and trembled an exhale.

"Cee?" Jack asked from the lift as he arrived. Arcee quickly dissipated Sadie and cleared her throat, wiping the Energon from under her eyes. She steadied herself as Jack walked over, slapping on a fake smile.

"Hey Cee, what's up?" He asked, sitting beside her.

"Oh just...admiring the view" She lied.

"Yeah...it is beautiful" he sighed, watching the huge moon rise higher into the passing night.

"Everything okay with June?" She asked. Jack scoffed and nodded.

"For now...I'm gonna kill Miko" he shook his head with a chuckle.

"Tell you what, you kill Miko, I'll get Bulk" Arcee said with a grin.

"Deal" Jack laughed. "Hey Cee, I'm sorry if Mom upset you. She's just trying to deal with all this"

"Oh it's nothing like that...it's just...something she brought to my attention" She shook her head.

"What's that?" Jack asked her, raising a concerned eyebrow.

"Just...something I can't do, that's all"

"What?" Jack asked as he shuffled closer, a worried look in his eyes. She peered at his glowing eyes, the words "Have children" On the brink of her vocal processor, barely held behind her lips. She kept going to say it, but something prevented her, liking a dam holding the pressures of an ocean.

"Cee?" Jack said more firmly, holding her hand in his. She sighed and lowered her optics.

"Have...Children" She finally vocalized. Jack's eyes widened and he suddenly understood why she walked off earlier.

"Oh..."

"It's stupid I know-"

"No. No it's not"

"It is for me!" Arcee shouted to him. "Jack, I've spent my life being alone and unloved, watching those around me die and be taken from me. Then you come into my life and I shun you. Slowly we get closer and closer. Now here we are, Sparkmates discussing why we aren't compatible for children!" Jack held her hand tighter.

"I know, I know. Look, Cee we managed to be Sparkmates...maybe we can...manage this someday"

"Not the same thing Jack. We are talking about...oh I'll save the details, but it just won't work with organic material and my Cybertronian material"

Jack sighed, rubbing his nose bridge. "Cee...we can...I. Wow, I actually don't know what to say for once" Jack nervously scoffed.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it" she exclaimed.

"No, I'm glad you did. We need to be honest with each other"

"I know...I know"

"Come on, we can talk about this some other time. Let's go have a little fun, huh?" He slapped on his fake smile and helped her up, the tall femme standing and sighing.

"Yeah...okay. I'll be down in a second"

"Cee-"

"I'm okay Jack, honest" She smiled. Jack reluctantly nodded, heading to the lift. She stood, looking out over the night time sky, a deep inhale, cooling against her gyros and cogs. She peered down from the moon.

She placed her hand on her own metal plated stomach and rubbed it slowly in small circles. Slowly her fingers pulled away, tensing and forming a tight fist. She clenched her eyes shut and grimaced.

"Why..." She huffed and shook her head, walking away to the lift.

* * *

**Author Notes: Got this idea while listening to Padme's ruminations, a heart wrenching track from Revenge of the Sith.**


	8. Chapter 8: Jack confronts Arcee

Ratchet's optics flickered and his speechless angered mouth trembled with no vocalization. His palms contorted into tight fists.

"Grimlock...I...Needed...THAT!" the angered doctor bellowed in fury at the titan, who was holding a broken laser, mounted on a long hinged metal arm, once attached to Ratchet's workshop table in his huge dinosaur jaws. Sparks spat from the severed cables and he swung it in his jaws as the mechanical arm mounted laser swayed like a severed arm. Ratchet looked at the huge Cybertronian dinosaur. He knew that if he upset or angered Grimlock, he'd lose more than his equipment.

"Oh...Okay, no harm done" Ratchet lied to himself as he calmed his anger. "I can always reattach it, at least I don't have to start-"

His words were cut short by Grimlock lifting his huge Dinosaur head upwards and snapping his jaws as he crushed the arm in his teeth grip and swallowed the arm down his mechanical throat.

"...from scratch" Ratchet sighed. Grimlock tilted his head with a throaty gurgle, as if wondering why Ratchet was angry. Ratchet slapped his palm against his face and ran it down his head. June giggled from the platform, laughing at the Doctor and Grimlock. The huge T-Rex, double the size of Ratchet shook his body, as if trying to shake off flees or water. He turned and stomped off, his huge tail slamming and knocking over one of Ratchets containers, rolling along the floor. Ratchet just stood with trembling and twitching anger behind his optics.

Jack re-entered the Command Center from the lift. "Uh-Oh, That's Ratchet's mad scientist face" Jack chuckled.

"I may have to kill that Dinobot" Ratchet insanely laughed, his eye twitching. He shook it off, walking over and picking up the container, standing it up again in the corner. Jack stood by his mother, arms crossed, weight on his prosthetic. She looked at him, his expression one of deep thinking and contemplating.

"You okay sweetheart?" June asked her son.

"Hmm? Oh Yeah I'm fine" He snapped from his daze and gave a nod.

"You and...Arcee...okay?" June asked, taking a gulp before saying her name.

"Yes..." Jack glared.

"Just asking!" June defended arms up in surrender. Jack sighed and looked back at Ratchet, picking up pieces of his equipment. Jack exhaled, shoulders deflating.

"Sorry Mom, I've got some stuff on my mind that's all"

"Everything all right?"

"Yeah...fine" He fake smiled. June knew her son all too well. She stood in front of his gaze.

"Jackson Darby, I don't like lying" She crossed her arms.

"Arcee's just got something on her mind that's all...and it's surprised me a little that's all" Jack shrugged.

"Is she alright Jack? Come on, she means a lot to me too"

"Mom, you've got nothing to worry about. Cee's fine...we were just discussing something...as a couple" He laid down the line with his mother.

"Okay...okay. It's between you two. I'll stay out"

"Thanks Mom. I don't mean it horribly, it's just...Cee's thinking about stuff" Jack gently smiled at her, reassuring her everything was alright.

"Okay...you'll tell me when you're both ready" June nodded, patting her son's shoulder and walking over to talk to Ratchet, possibly calm the doctor down. Jack was then left with his thoughts again.

"Cee...wants children?" Jack whispered to himself.

_How am I only just hearing about this? How long has she been thinking about this?_

He stood staring at the wall, when the woman on his mind walked out of the lift. She was stroking her upper arm, looking bashful and in deep thought. He stared at the love of his life walking across the Command Center. Now he knew what was on her mind, it made her sulked walking seem worse.

She looked up, catching his worried gaze and slapping on a fake smile immediately. He smiled back as he made his way for the ladder. He carefully stepped his metal foot on and then his left, sliding down it with his hands gripping the metal bars.

The heated friction on his hands lasted a few seconds until he landed on the floor with a gently thud. Jack released the ladder and began his walk over to Arcee.

"Hey Jack, so what fun did you have in mind?" she smiled. Jack sighed and gestured her to follow him. After a raise of her optic ridge, she followed. They both walked down the hall to their quarters. She was confused to his behavior, but went with her Sparkmate none the less.

"Jack? This isn't what I meant by fun" She chuckled as he slid the door to their quarters open. Jack simply gestured his hand for her to enter. That was when Arcee returned to her formidable personality. She crossed her arms.

"You best start talking Jack...why are we here?"

"We...need to talk" He said sternly, ushering her in. With a roll of her optics and a sigh filled grumble, she slouched through the door and inside their room. Jack followed, shutting the door firmly behind him, sliding it across. He turned and Arcee was sat on their berth, arms crossed, eyes angry and bottom lip pouting.

"Don't give me that look Cee" Jack chuckled as he jumped up onto the berth with a groan and clambered up beside her.

"Now...we need to talk about...what happened on the roof"

"Oh Jack...I told you, it doesn't matter!" Arcee grumbled. He tightened his hand around her's with a squeeze.

"Cee, come on sweetheart. Do you...want a family?" Jack asked her. She lowered her optics from his gaze.

"Oh...uh I don't know. I...Maybe one day" She shrugged. "Jack...all my life I've fought, I've killed...I've taken lives from others...and it always catches up with me. Blackout...Grindor. Primus knows how many other enemies I've made" she sighed and rubbed her head, trying to think of where her point was taking her. "How I can think about having a family while we're still at war is just...selfish" she squinted, holding the despair back.

"No it's not. Cee, I love you...and I'm only twenty! I still have a long life ahead to think of that stuff" Jack said, letting her know he wasn't ready to be a father.

"I always knew one day I'd be a dad...but...not yet" Jack said, Arcee slamming her eyes shut on impact of his words.

"But..."

She opened them again.

"If you want a family...then...I will do whatever I can to make it happen. Because I love you, and I want to see you be happy" Jack smiled at her.

"You would...do that...for me?" She said with tears.

"Yeah...of course" Jack reassured her, though deep down he wasn't ready to handle the responsibility of being a father. She placed her palm on the side of his face, her smooth thumb gently caressing his cheek.

"Jack...I appreciate you saying that...but...you're right" Jack looked up at her words. "We're still young...by our own standards" She chuckled at their species age differences. Jack nodded too. "We don't need to think about it right now do we? And I don't even know how we'd...you know" She shyly said on the subject.

"Yeah...could end badly" Jack nervously chuckled, blushing and rubbing the back of his head.

"Why you're blushing I'll never know...we've already had intercourse several times Jack" She said to him.

"Thanks, that's really helping make me look less red" He laughed, earning one from her too.

"We'd have to...adopt or something...there's no way you and I could...well" Arcee huffed.

"No, I can't do that to you. You deserve to have a child that is truly yours...that comes from you. What if we...went to Ratchet?" Jack asked with a shrug.

"You want to get him involved? You remember what he said when he found about us being Sparkmates right?" Arcee grimaced.

"I know, I know. He was way out of line, but he is your medical officer, and he would know about that stuff"

"I guess...boy, that's gonna be awkward" She sighed. Jack laughed again at the idea.

"Yeah...good luck" Jack said trying to get off the berth.

"Whoa, you're coming too Partner!" she tightened her grip on his hand.

"Ow! Okay, okay...I'll be by your side Cee. We...we don't have to do it tonight though right?"

"Nope, probably best we wait till everyone's out on patrols or something. Besides, let's enjoy ourselves, huh? Like you said, we're young" she smiled, the first genuine one she'd worn all night.

"Yeah...sounds good. And you're okay with waiting?" Jack asked her, caressing the polymer of her silver palm.

"To be honest Jack...I only figured out that _I_ wanted it earlier tonight" she exclaimed.

"Rough night so far huh?" Jack smiled.

"You have no idea" she rolled her optics with a scoff.

"So you're okay with it?"

"Yeah...Yeah I am. Thank you Jack, I knew I loved you for a reason" She chuckled, leaning over and kissing him deeply and passionately, cupping his cheeks. She pulled back from the soft kiss, reopening her glimmering optics. "Well...let's...let's talk about something else"

"Good idea...so, what you feel like doing Cee?" Jack asked. She tapped her chin.

"Well...we still need to get our revenge on Miko and Bulk" She smirked.

"Oh but Cee, i though Revenge was a dark road" Jack sarcastically laughed.

"Eh, the rule get's bent just this once" she chuckled. Jack hopped off the berth and she stepped off.

"Plan of action?" Jack asked.

"You get Miko, I pounce Bulk. I'll hide in the lift and wait for him to come in. You go get her on the sofa" she explained, putting as much thought into this plan as an actual battle plan.

"Let's do it"


	9. Chapter 9: A little bit of payback

Five minutes later, Jack re-entered the Command Center, Arcee walking past and off to the lift. Jack clambered up the ladder, both of them dead silent as they got into position. Ratchet raised a ridge at their behavior before he quit caring, going back to his work.

Jack smirked as he walked over to the sofa. Miko sat watching him get closer from the corner of her eye. Her knees bobbed and she gulped. She knew that Jack was angry about how she'd thrown him in the fray with his mother earlier. Raf adjusted his glasses and knew he did nothing wrong, he was safe.

"So...Miko...Arcee and I had a little chat..." He smirked as he sat beside her, Miko shuffling away slightly.

"Uh-huh" she trembled.

"Yeah and we agreed on something" He sighed with a grin as he lent back. Miko's pigtails dropped.

"Oh...and what's that?" She nervously laughed, watching the screen. Before Jack could answer, Bulkhead walked over from behind, looking on edge and scared.

"Oh hey Jack, you haven't seen-oh scrap!" He suddenly turned and began running as Arcee came flying out of the lift, sprinting after him.

"Yeah...that. So Miko..." Jack turned and she was gone, flying down the ladder and running off deep into the base. He cricked his neck with a chuckle.

"See you in a bit Raf...getting some well earned revenge" he took to the ladder, sliding down it and landing with a thump. He took off with a walking pace after Miko, metal leg slowing him down.

Meanwhile, Bulk ran around the corner of one of the tall hallways of Omega Two, running with a girly scream past Smokescreen and Bumblebee, chatting against the wall sharing war stories. They both raised an eyebrow at his behavior.

"What the..." Smokescreen mumbled. Arcee soon arrived, speeding after him, the two wheeler being smaller and faster on her feet.

"You can't run forever Bulk!" She shouted, Bulkhead still running, his huge feet stomping under him. He veered sharply on one foot around the next corner, running past a titanic Grimlock, raising a T-Rex eyebrow at them running by. He watched the tiny Arcee sprint past as well. He shook his titanic head and continued his stomping walk down the hallway, batting his tail.

Bulkhead peered back and she was gone. He had outrun her, which was odd. Bulkhead ran into an empty room, catching his breath. He slid along the wall, walking deeper into the pitch black darkness of the room. His blue optics were the only light in the blackness of the empty quarters.

"Whew...good. I'm safe in here"

"Mmm, no...No your not" Came a familiar voice as two bright blue optics with pink rings stared at him from the darkness as well. Bulk's optics popped wide and one twitched.

...

Miko slowly walked through the halls as a blood curdling scream echoed from deep inside the base.

"Bulk? She got Bulk" Miko gulped.

"You can run Miko...but you can't hide!" Jack's voice echoed through the halls, making her eyes pop wide and her pink and black pigtails drop in horror. She nervously chuckled slightly and began her pacing walk once more.

She paced quicker and rounded the corner, bumping into the metallic blue leg of Optimus. She immediately ran behind Optimus's leg, catching the Prime off guard.

"Miko? What's wrong?"

Jack arrived, trying to grab her, running around Optimus's leg.

"Get back here Miko! Jack shouted.

"No!"

"Enough, both of you!" Optimus raised his voice, making them stop dead. "Now, what happened?" A sound made Optimus raise an eyebrow. He peered over to a new sound.

Arcee came around the corner, dragging Bulkhead by the pinch of his audio processor. "ow-ow-ow-ow!" Bulkhead repeated. She stopped as she saw Optimus. She immediately dropped Bulk's ear and he dropped to the floor with a thump. "And...ow"

"Oh scrap" Arcee huffed.

"Arcee, as my second in Command I expect better. Now, what is going on?" Optimus asked the group.

"Miko and Bulk blabbed about me and Cee!" Jack pointed an accusing finger at Miko.

"I did not! You shouted out about it to your mom!" Miko pointed back.

"Yeah, only cos I didn't realize it was her till I said it!" Jack fought back.

"You two, enough" Optimus said with his hands raised to them. "Arcee...what is your part in this and...Bulkhead?" he peered at the huge Wrecker sitting up.

"I...can't keep secrets Optimus" He sighed.

"See?" Arcee shrugged.

"Okay...I've heard what I need. Miko, Bulkhead if you cannot keep information withheld when required, then do not seek the information to begin with" Optimus said, a sulking nod from both of them. Arcee smirked.

"And Arcee and Jack, you should not have kept this from your mother to begin with. Secrets between family and friends never end well"

"What?! It's our place to decide when to tell her, not theirs!" Arcee countered.

"I agree, but you should have told her earlier than this. With that, I end my negotiations. I must return to Ratchet. All of you will behave" he peered at the four of them, not looking at one another, sulking.

"Agreed?" He narrowed his eyes at them.

"Yes sir" They all moaned at once.

"Good. I will leave you all to sort this matter out...without being violent Arcee" He raised an eyebrow at her specifically.

"Why did you...okay fair enough" Her argument died. Optimus smiled and walked away, the bold leader strut to his walk.

...

A few moments of silence passed, when Miko looked at Jack.

"Sorry, okay?" She shrugged, pouting and arms crossed.

"It's fine...I guess I did Kinda blab it to Mom anyway" Jack chuckled. Miko smiled, punching his arm. He winced with a smirk, rubbing the arm. Bulk looked at Arcee, sincerity on his was arms crossed and angry still.

"Sorry Cee" Bulk smiled. Arcee huffed and dropped her defense.

"You're off the hook you two..." She suddenly had an idea form in her mind, a smile creasing "...Once you've both cleaned all the crates out from the storage room" she smirked.

"Ahh that's not fair!" Both Miko and Bulkhead sighed.

"Tough, get to it" She crossed her arms, tilting her head towards the room at the end of the hall. With a heavy sigh Bulkhead and Miko sulked past them, arms dangling as they moped over to the storage room. Arcee peered at Jack.

"What?"

"Hard ass Arcee on deck" He chuckled.

"You want to go and help?" She pointed over her shoulder at Bulk and Miko slowly meandering down the hall. Jack smirked, feeling confident.

"Yeah right, you'd never send me-"

Almost a minute later Jack was lifting crates alongside Miko and Bulk. He shook his head, cursing his confidence and Arcee's stubbornness.

"Knew it the moment it left my mouth" He moaned as he lifted the crate with a groan, alongside Bulk and Miko.


	10. Chapter 10: A small Nightmare

Miko grumbled, wiping the grease and dirt on her skirt.

"Damn! Why's this all so dirty!" She moaned. Bulk lifted the crate for her with a pinch of his finger and thumb. She smiled at him as he helped her, chucking the tiny box in his grasp to the pile of others he'd stacked in the corner neatly.

"No idea, looks like oil" Bulkhead mumbled, lifting a giant shipping container like a light box and putting it on top of the stack. He slapped his palms together, dusting them off. He nodded at his stack.

"I do a good job don't I?"

"Ah Bulk, this place would be great for a concert! Hello Jasper!" Miko shouted, standing on top of the big box beneath her. "Are you ready to rock?!" she called out, echoing off the walls. Bulkhead chuckled.

"We should bring your amp and Guitar down here" Bulkhead nodded in agreement to her.

"Not a bad idea actually Bulk. Maybe Ratchet won't try to kill Miko as often" Jack chuckled, his sleeves rolled up. He placed his hands on his hips.

"Since when has he tried to kill me?" Miko shot a glare down at Jack.

"Remember when Bulkhead had to restrain him and destroy Ratchet's invention, I believe he called it the "Miko-exterminator" Jack used quotation marks.

"He had to rest for a few days after that. I think your guitar sessions really broke him" Bulkhead chuckled as he remembered.

"Miko: the only person to ever break Ratchet" Jack laughed.

"Ha-Ha, very funny" Miko stuck her tongue out at them. Bulkhead ceased his chuckling as he continued to move the last of the crates. Miko hopped off the box and rubbed her cheek. As her hand left her face, Jack saw a black smudge.

"Miko, you've got a little..." he pointed to her face. She wiped it but made it bigger and blacker. Jack knew he had to have some fun.

"Other side" He gestured, Miko immediately wiping the other cheek, another bold black smudge.

"Little on the forehead" Jack held the laughter back best he could. Miko rubbed her forehead with a frustrated sigh.

"There, better?" She asked him, a long black line on her forehead as well.

"Oh much" He chuckled, walking away behind a box to laugh at Miko unseen. Miko raised an eyebrow at his behavior and turned to Bulkhead.

"Miko have you-" He stopped dead as he saw the state of her face.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ah!" he started laughing aloud, along with Jack.

"What?" she asked unawares. Bulkhead lowered the shiny green metal of his arm and Miko gazed at her reflection. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Grrrr, Jack!" She shouted fury in her tone and expression. She faced him, rubbing the clean back of her hand against her forehead.

"Oh come on, that was funny, right Bulk?"

"Oh yeah...err I mean no" he stifled his laughter as Miko glared at him.

"Come on; let's get the last crates moved" Bulkhead motioned to the last three boxes in the corner.

"Yeah...then I'm going to go clean myself up thanks to you Jack!" She glared again, Jack focusing on the last few boxes.

"Your welcome" He rolled his eyes, Miko disabling her glare and picking up a box. She immediately screamed and dropped the box running away behind Bulk's leg. He looked horrified that she might have been hurt, Jack as well, both of them wide eyed.

"Miko! Are you okay?!" Bulkhead asked as he put the crate down.

"S-Spider!" She trembled as the tiny eight legged creature stepped out, all its legs working in unison.

"You're scared of that? Obviously you ain't seen Airachnid on a bad day" Jack chuckled as he placed a piece of paper under the spider and lifted it up, moving the paper to stop it walking off the edge. Miko grimaced and winced behind Bulk's leg.

"Miko you've thrown down with Starscream...and that scares you?" Bulk raised an eyebrow.

"What? I hate Spiders!" she whined. Jack walked past her, holding the paper and spider near her, arms out. Miko squealed again, Bulkhead glaring at Jack.

"Okay, Okay" He walked out with the paper in hand, the little spider scuttling along it. He rolled his eyes at it.

He walked down the hall towards the Command Center.

"I guess I should let you outside huh little guy? Even if you do remind me of a certain someone" He shivered. Jack shook it off and he looked closer at the spider. He noticed upon closer inspection that it only had seven legs, not eight. He peered down at his prosthetic and sighed.

"You too huh, little guy? Yeah, we've got a bit in common" He smiled, entering the huge Command Center. He looked up from the paper and spider at Optimus conversing with Ratchet. Optimus peered down at Jack.

"Jack? What have you got there?" Optimus asked, bending down.

"Miko doesn't like em. I decided to let him go outside, not kill it" Jack nodded. Optimus smiled.

"This is why I believe you have the virtues of a Prime. You didn't kill the spider just because you are larger and stronger, you chose to save it. You did the right thing Jack"

"Just a spider Optimus...but thank you" He smiled, walking past the Prime to the exit, letting it go free across the night time desert sand.

...

Meanwhile, Miko moved a box with a groan and huff, passing it up to Bulk who pinched it and lifted it like it was a breadcrumb. She dusted her hands off.

"Whew, there...done. Now Arcee can calm her circuits" She groaned. Bulkhead chuckled as he finished the neat stack in the corner, the huge room empty and open.

"Yep...good work Miko, we're a good team"

"Yeah we are Bulk!" She leaped up high fiving his huge hand. Miko smiled up at him, her face still dirty. He peered around the room at the sound of scuttling. Miko also raised an eyebrow.

"M-More spiders?" She asked. They all stared at the noise in the corner opposite. She walked back against Bulkhead's leg. Even he was a little perplexed.

Suddenly the owner of the sound leaped out, scuttling forward. Big adorable blue eyes beaming up and giant silver head to accommodate them titling slightly.

"Worse..." Bulkhead trembled. "Scraplet!"

Suddenly the little being's head tilted back and huge teeth whirred, like a chainsaw, leaping at Bulkhead.


	11. Chapter 11: Suicide Mission

Jack re-emerged in the Command Center, scrunching up the paper into a tight ball and throwing it like a basket ball up over the railing of the high platform into the bin next to Raf, who was typing away at his laptop, the thin metal bowl tipping slightly.

"Yes!" Jack cheered with a fist pump. "Did anyone see that?" He looked around the room at a sat down Grimlock and a conversing Optimus and Ratchet. Grimlock peered up from his huge sword that he was sharpening along his titanic wrist. He shook his head, returning his gaze to the sword.

"Oh...tough crowd" Jack scoffed.

"...So anyway, that is why Wheeljack is no longer allowed to have live explosives aboard a spaceship" Bumblebee and Smokescreen conversed as they walked in past Jack and Grimlock. Smokescreen laughed at Bee's story.

"Oh Hey Jack" They both said, nodding at him. Jack nodded back at them, a wave being swashed with his hand. They both peered up over Jack's head.

"Uh-oh, old ball and chain" Smokescreen whispered in Bee's ear, both sniggering as they walked away. Arcee walked in the room, peering at Jack, arms folded.

"Jack is the room-"

"Clean as a whistle. You're welcome" He rolled his eyes, going to walk away. She stopped him with her long toed boot.

"Good...then here, your reward" She knelt down, grasping the collar of his shirt and pulling him forward, planting a kiss on his lips. Wide eyed at her sudden change of mood, his body froze, but not for long as he relaxed, enjoying the kiss, his nerves, sizzling with sensations and his skin prickling, hairs standing up.

All the bots felt uncomfortable watching as they started rubbing their necks or clearing throats and whistling awkwardly, looking away except for Grimlock, Ratchet and Optimus, who didn't care at all. Arcee gently peeled away, eyes reopening, Jack left with a fluttering heart and numb brain.

"Whoa...a-and that?" He chuckled with a goofy grin.

"Like I said...reward" she chuckled, ignoring everyone else and being glad they didn't have to hide their affection as much anymore.

"I'm sorry I was hard on you" She sighed, holding his small hand in hers.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Was actually pretty funny working with Bulk and Miko"

"Funny?" She raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"You'll see" they smiled at one another. Suddenly they heard a scoff and they both peered over at the source.

"Me Grimlock say get a room" The titan said from his sat position in the corner, scraping his sword. Arcee glared at him, then to Smokescreen. His eyes widened.

"Wha? I didn't teach him!" He slid away from Grimlock slowly, Grimlock's black head tilting only slightly to see Smokescreen, turning it back to his sword.

"Uh-huh. So, where is Miko and Bulk?" Arcee asked. Suddenly loud screams sounded and huge footsteps. She rolled her eyes.

"Speak of the devils" She rolled her eyes as Miko and Bulk came flying into the Command Center, panting. Arcee's eyes widened, along with every other Bot as they saw the silver gashes along Bulkheads arms and legs: Bite marks.

"Whoa, what in the Allspark happened?!" Ratchet asked, concerned.

"Scra...Scra" Miko huffed, trying to catch her breath, hands on knees and back heaving. Ratchet's eyes popped wide at the word.

"OH Primus...Scraplet?" He asked with a venture.

"Uh-huh!" she managed, Bulk nodded with a murmur.

"What is it Bulk?" Arcee asked him, only hearing whimpers from the bot.

"Tha-Tha-Thou-Thousands-oh-of them! In that-that room!" he pointed down the distant hall. She peered down at the sound of chattering metal teeth and chainsaw like whirring.

"Ah crap!" Jack sighed, slapping his forehead. "I thought we got rid of them all!"

"Possible that some of them survived our last encounter, being frozen and going into stasis" Ratchet took a guess.

"Even after the old base went...well, you know...Ka-boom" Smokescreen demonstrated with his hands.

"Scraplets are dangerous, and clever. No doubt some would have been smart enough to escape the base before it was destroyed and make their way to find shelter in the new one...this one" Ratchet huffed as he looked over Bulk's wounds.

"Ratchet is correct. Scraplets come in swarms, and will no doubt build nests; often in somewhere with large amounts of metal and...Cybertronian technology to devour" Optimus explained.

"No doubt they'd come here then" Raf shuddered.

"Must have been locked away in that storage room for years, only being brought out of stasis when Bulkhead, Jack and Miko began cleaning the room" Ratchet explained further, getting up from his knelt position. All the bots were gathered in the Command Center, meaning they had an upper hand, or at least an even hand.

"Okay! Everyone gather round!" Ratchet took command, even without Optimus's consent. He had the most experience with Scraplets, along with Raf, Miko, Jack, Bee and Bulk. All the bots gathered around, Grimlock groaning as he got up, dwarfing the bots.

"Now, we have another infestation, one that has no doubt begun to feed" Ratchet started. "Last time this happened, Jack, Miko and Rafael helped us defeat them, due to their fleshy forms"

"Fleshy?" Miko growled, Jack holding her back.

"Arcee, Optimus, Smokescreen and Grimlock. You have all heard the tales of Scraplets but have yet to face them. I advise you all to listen...to Rafael" He handed the position over to Raf, catching the boy off guard.

"Wha...me?!" He asked from the podium as all the bots looked to him.

"Thanks a lot Ratchet" He rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses. "Well erm...last time it happened, we learned to fight them with the cold. Stuff like: fire extinguishers, freezers, fridges and ending it with the Arctic, where you guys were erm..."

"Freezing to death, yeah we remember Raf" Arcee stated, hands on hips. Optimus nodded.

"So...we just need to round them up and launch the, through the bridge, right Ratchet?" Raf asked.

"Precisely. As long as they haven't damaged anything vital yet. Now, getting them here will require bait and who better...than big metal beings like us" Ratchet smirked. All the Bot's eyes widened.

"Wha! No way, I am not going out like that! Eaten by some little hungry bug!" Smokescreen declined.

"Hey! You always go on about your destiny, time to prove it!" Arcee pointed a finger at him.

"She's right Smokescreen. We're all in this together" Jack injected. "We break into team's right Ratchet?"

"Exactly. Split up and lure the beasts here. I will immediately open the bridge to the Arctic...and freeze them again!" He laughed maniacally. The team raised eyebrows at the laugh. "Ermm...sorry" Ratchet cleared his throat.

"Autobots, we have our objectives. Ratchet set the base to immediate lock-down, nobody in or out. Not until this is dealt with" Optimus ordered.

"Understood"

"Hey...what's going on?" June asked as she yawned, walking in the Command Center, totally oblivious.

"Oh scrap...Mom" Jack sighed.

"June, we have a situation, A grave one. A large swarm of Scraplets have infested the base, and we must terminate them immediately" Optimus explained. June tried to process the information.

"Okay...wait...Scrap-whats?" She asked hands on hips. Jack walked over to his confused mother.

"Mom, we need to help the bots. These things will eat them okay, I've seen it before. But they won't harm us. They eat metal not flesh. I-we need your help" Jack smiled at her, the bots nodding.

"But I-"

"June...please" Arcee pleaded, scared. EventuallyJune sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, Jack smiling at her. He peered up at Prime.

"Okay Optimus, we've got one, two...four humans for this" Jack shouted up after counting them.

"You must protect us while we attempt to draw out the creatures" Optimus explained, Ratchet nodding.

"June, use things like fire extinguishers to freeze them, anything cold!" Ratchet nodded.

"We've got three fire extinguishers, four crowbars, and one of these" Miko explained the armory as she held up a blaster.

"That's mine" Jack said. "Only part of my old suit Ratchet could fix. I'll use that" He said, snatching it from her and placing it on his wrist.

"Hey!" She grumbled. Arcee suddenly realized something: Jack's leg.

"Wait! Jack's leg's metal! The Scraplet's will go for him too!" She shouted. Even though this had only just dawned on Jack, he stayed brave, peering at her.

"Well, good thing I've got my trusty blaster. I'll just have to be as careful as you guys" He smiled, Arcee reluctantly nodding.

"Raf, Miko...Jack, you have faced these being before and won. I trust you with my life, and I know the other bots do to" Optimus installed the message into them.

"Autobots, the time to select our teams has come. Bumblebee, you will go with-" The moment was cut short as the elevator sounded, a man's grumbling following. It slowly descended, all the bots and humans watching with raised eyebrows.

"Prime!" a familiar voice shouted. "What is with the lock down and...?" Fowler stopped dead at all the gathered bots.

"What in Sam hill's name is going on?" He asked.

"Agent Fowler, we have a contamination, and have locked the base down into quarantine until we can eradicate them" Optimus explained.

"Oh...so...I'm trapped here too, just perfect. I only popped by to find out if you'd made any headway on that ship in the orbit"

"Ship?" the bots all asked confused. "What ship? Is it Decepticon? Who is it?" All the bots rambled.

"It is a long destroyed Cybertron vessel that has drifted into Earth's gravitation pull Agent Fowler. It is of no concern as of now, after this has been dealt with I will oversee an investigation aboard" He calmed the man.

"Well...okay then..." He turned back to the lift.

"But, since you are here, we require your assistance. Humans are of no concern to Scraplets since they do not eat flesh, however we Cybertronians are at risk and require protection from human eyes" Optimus explained. Fowler sighed and turned back to face him, all of them.

"Well, my old Ranger training could come in handy" He chuckled, cracking his knuckles.

"Good! Here, have a fire extinguisher!" Miko chucked it up into his grip, confusing him.

"No guns?" He moaned.


End file.
